Feedback for CISC3000 – Student Feedback Questionnaire

Dear Students,

First on all, I would like to start this message by thanking you for taking the
time to answer this survey. The main purpose for this feedback is to close the
communication cycle I started when I ask you to take this survey. I have no
intention of justifying my methodology but I would like to clarify possible
misunderstandings on my decisions during the semester. However, your comments
are very important for improving teaching and learning of this course.
I really appreciate your compliments about the course, but I believe there is
always room for improvement. I understood that I had repeated and passed too
slowly on certain chapters. It is very clear that practice/tutorial was very
affected, and I might try to work with you differently on the tutorials.
Regarding some material which is not from our textbook neither from our slides.
My idea is to check if you would be able to rationalize on those questions with
the knowledge you got from the course material. It is a way to make you explore
other sources and their vocabulary and methods. However, I agree that I should
provide better explanation for those exercises and I should also be clearer
about how far you should go when searching it. I don’t mean to give you
extra work.

Just a comment about the midterm and final exam. I saw that many student found
the model answer of my questions. Well, it is an open book test and I cannot
avoid you to search the answers at the Internet. However, you should read the
question properly, since I had made small changes to the questions, but several
of you just use the same variables of the original questions such as pharmacies
instead of drugstore or SSN instead of ID, or just use their solutions for the
normalization questions. I believe you should be able to give your own
solution, since the questions were similar to tutorials. A degree is important
and may help you to find a job, but it will not guarantee that you will keep
it. Don’t focus on mark, but on learning.
The second will give you the first.
Allow me to call your attention about the fact that some of you mentioned that
the use of Zoom was redundant or boring, that you may have problems to keep
your attention and it is difficult to ask questions or communicate. However,
honestly speaking, how different are your comments when we were in regular
classes?

May be I should request you to have your video on as some of you had
commented!
Definitely we miss the interaction with colleagues and teachers.
But, you had a hands-on experience about telecommuting, i.e. working from home.
COVID-19 still around and you may need to face the same challenges again.

Your generation is very savy about using technology to communicate so I believe you
also have to be willing to change and to adapt. I have students using the Zoom
chat during classes, WeChat, Moodle messages and emails, so when you need to
communicate you find a way.

Sorry about another long message. Thank you very much for your support. I
really appreciate your comments and I really take them into consideration when
I am preparing the courses.
Have a good summer break.

See you around (hopefully) soon!

Cheers,

Miguel.
(Macau 11/6/2020)